


'Fall' in Love

by DropsOfAutumn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe - College/University, Autumn feels, Boys In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Indie Pinterest Boy Shiro, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, accidental dates, and they were ROOMMATES, cozy & warm, soft, sweet as Pumpkin Spice Latte
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-12-22 22:03:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21083801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DropsOfAutumn/pseuds/DropsOfAutumn
Summary: “Let’s make a deal! Shiro takes you to all those cozy autumn things he plans on doing anyway--“ Lance waved at  Shiro, whose loud protesting “Hey!” got completely lost in Lance babbling on.“--and if you still don’t like fall by the end of October, I’ll do your homework until the end of the semester.” The beam on Lance’s face was telling of how sure he was about winning this bet. Keith couldn’t wait to crush him.--Or: The one in which Keith hates autumn.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Baby's first multi-chaptered fic for this fandom, whoop whoop!
> 
> So, as some of you might have noticed (/squints at her username) I _REALLY_ love autumn/fall, so when I first heard of [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith), I knew I _had_ to participate! At first, I wanted to write small drabbles, about 1K words for each day. And then the ideas kept running away with me and now we are here! 
> 
> I will do my best to update this fic daily, starting on Monday, according to the list of prompts – but I'm only human, and so are the lovely people helping me fix my terrible grammar!  
So here's a big thank you to [ils](https://twitter.com/justsayins) and [Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing) for being so precious to read over this story <3 you're the best!
> 
> Hope you're having fun. Let me know what you think in the comments and think of me when you drink your next pumpkin spice latte <3

_Fall in Love!_  
  
  
The words laughed down at Keith, big, gaudy orange letters on a white banner, spanning over the entry to their dorms.   
  
“Who even comes up with crap like this?” Keith muttered, rolling his eyes and sighing, like doing so would actually tear the banner down.  
  
Shiro, who held the door for him with one hand while balancing his coffee cup in the other, snickered. “I think it’s charming,” his best friend said against the rim of his way too expensive, way too sweet excuse of a coffee. It was the third one this week and Keith was sure he would hear Shiro complain about being broke by the end of next week.

“I mean, look! They even put up small pumpkins everywhere.” Shiro beamed and it was addictive. At least kind of, Keith thought, when it was hard not to smile at how excited Shiro looked. Six foot four and full of muscles – and still the softest child when it came to pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween parties. He definitely looked right out of a ‘1st day of fall starter kit for hipsters’ Pinterest post, with his big fluffy scarf in mustard yellow that could easily fit around two people, his dark-red beanie that was tactically placed so his white tuft of hair would peek out just right, and the hiking boots that had definitely never seen a single hike – Shiro was more of a man for indoor gyms and long morning jogs that left him sweaty and shirtless right when Keith would wake up and… 

...and Keith had to brace himself not to run into the next door while thinking of a semi-naked Shiro. He might have been harboring that stupid crush of his for a bit _too_ long.  
  
“Yeah, but that’s the problem.” Keith shoved all thoughts of Shiro in any state of dress aside while they both made their way down the hallway to their shared room.   
  
Even though they had started off freshman year as strangers forced to share a dorm, their first year at college had made them fight a lot of things together: navigating the unknown terrain of campus together, Shiro’s first break-up, bad hangovers, worse drinking habits, a dubious frat-party they would rather not talk about ever again, and a nerve-wracking week of finals. And after one year of college, Keith could call someone a best friend for the first time in his life. 

“I’ve already nearly slipped on fake leaves somebody decided to scatter in the hallway this morning alone.” While Shiro held the door to their dorm room, Keith groaned. He’d rather not remember the embarrassment of tripping down the staircase.

His groan only got louder when he noticed the smug grin on Shiro’s face. And Keith had no time to mutter “Don’t you dare” before Shiro decided to seize the opportunity: “Seems like someone didn’t know where to leave their leaves.”  
  
“Urgh, you’re the worst. How long have you been waiting to make that joke?” Keith would never be able to tell Shiro that he secretly loved his lame dad jokes. Shiro would never let him live that down.  
  
“Waited the whole day for the right time to just fall into my arms.” Shiro shrugged, sitting down on his bed, the grin still on his lips betraying full well that he was _very _ aware of the second bad pun that had just left his mouth.   
  
“Shiro,” Keith could only sigh in despair, burying his face in his hands. Before he could scold him for the terrible jokes, he was interrupted by a knock on their door and the familiar mop of brown hair and the wiry limbs of Lance, their neighbor from across the hallway, appeared.  
  
  
“Did someone say leaves?” Lance asked, poking his head into their room. He was standing in the middle room seconds later, before Keith could so much ask him if he had ever heard of something called privacy. The answer would’ve been no, anyway – Lance was the nosiest guy he had ever met. 

“We were just talking about this year’s theme for the autumn charity fundraiser.” Keith let himself fall onto his bed with a deep groan while biting off the next remark on his tongue. He had nothing against Lance per se; he was a good guy even though he was chatty as hell, but it had been a long day, and he seriously did not want to discuss different kinds of pumpkin spice recipes right now.   
  
“Ooooh, I love the theme.” 

Keith was sure there was a swoon in his voice.  
  
“I hate it. Seriously, what is the thing with fall? It’s dark, it’s cold, and it’s so wet you slip on leaves everywhere.” He might have exaggerated a bit, as far as he was concerned, there _ wasn’t _ much to like about fall. 

At least that’s what he thought before he found himself sitting on his bed only two seconds later, with Lance’s arm awkwardly draped around his back to pull him in, Lance’s hand patting his shoulders in a weird kind of soothing gesture.

“Keith. My friend. My buddy. Emokid of my life. Let me help you! Chicks LOVE fall! Pumpkin spice latte dates? Putting pumpkins everywhere, wearing cozy sweaters and listening to the same indie playlist for the whole day long? Have you even checked Pinterest lately?”  
  
“And why would I, Lance?” Picking up girls had never been on the list of his favorite free-time activities. Picking up anyone at all had basically been erased from his plate the second he realized he was head over heels for Shiro – a fact that might or might not mix well with the fact that they spent most of their free time together and had seen each other naked after showering more often than Keith could count.  
  
“I tell you, it’s m-a-g-i-c. Here, I still have to invite Allura to a pumpkin patch date.” With a flick of his wrist, Lance pulled out his phone to text Allura, a junior he had been crushing on too hard for his whole freshman year, and who had just recently decided it was better to date Lance than to keep trying to reject him. They both seemed kind of happy, so Keith tried not to judge. Whatever floated their boat.  
  
“What would you do on a pumpkin patch except picking pumpkins?” He was sure to aim well when he threw his pillow at Shiro for chuckling.  
  
“It’s all about romance. Think about the atmosphere!” Lance exclaimed with a dramatic gesture. 

Still, his words made no sense to Keith. “I can imagine more romantic things than getting muddy together.” 

Was it possible to roll his eyes too hard?  
  
“Keith, don’t you have a single fibre of romance in your bones?” Seeing Lance like this, fingers pinched together at the bridge of his nose as if he was really, deeply concerned, was some special brand of hilarious only Lance could come up with. But before Keith could comment on the non-existent romance of gardening, Lance waved a hand at Shiro.

“See Shiro here,” he announced. “Two days into autumn and he already has a list of things he wants to do.” 

“Hey,” Shiro yelled and Keith was pretty sure he just imagined the red shimmer on Shiro’s nose. 

“Don’t try to fool me, I’ve found your list!” Lance pointed a finger at Shiro, sending a squinting glare with it.  
  
“It’s more a list of some possibilities…” Shiro mumbled, scratching his face before carefully placing his beanie on his desk where it snuggled close to his coffee cup.   
  
It didn’t help Keith to see the appeal at all. “I just don’t get why two people should suddenly realize they are compatible simply because they start wearing bigger sweaters and drink liquid sugar?”  
  
Shiro snickered, earning him a death glare from Lance, “Don’t stab me in the back, Shiro! You gotta support me here, I’m your best friend!” Lance struck another melodramatic pose. Keith could see why Lance was taking drama courses. If there is one thing Lance was good at, it was overdramatizing everything. 

Shiro started, “Actually Keith is, but–” 

“That’s not the point here.” Lance interrupted him, looking close to clawing his eyes out.  
  
Keith could feel Shiro’s eyes land on him, his expression underlined by soft words. “In my defense, autumn _is_ pretty special. You should try to see the appeal, Keith.”   
  
And it did sound reasonable, the way Shiro presented it. Then again, Shiro could also make snail races sound reasonable to Keith, with the dark tenor of his voice and his gentle eyes... but that _really_ wasn’t the point here.  
  
Luckily for him, Lance ruined the moment. “Yes Keith, see the appeal! Tie your hair in a messy bun, trade your lumpy leather jackets for big woolen scarf and hiking boots, and drink that pumpkin spice latte!”  
  
“Excuse me, I actually _like _that jacket.” He tried glaring back at Lance, who, unfortunately, seemed to be immune to his anger by now.  
  
Completely ignoring any kind of protest from Keith, Lance’s eyes suddenly lit up – and Keith knew that was _never_ a good thing.  
  
“I’ve got it!”  
  
Yeah, really, Keith reminded himself, never a good thing.  
  
“Let’s make a deal! Shiro takes you to all those cozy autumn things he plans on doing anyway--“ Lance waved at Shiro, whose loud protesting “Hey!” got completely lost in Lance babbling on. 

“--and if you still don’t like fall by the end of October, I’ll do your homework until the end of the semester.” The beam on Lance’s face was telling of how sure he was about winning this bet. Keith couldn’t wait to crush him.  
  
“And if you win?” Keith had to admit that he _ was _ indeed intrigued. Not having to do any course work sounded nice. Plus Keith loved a good challenge.

“Then you have to buy me an extra big Christmas gift.” Oh well, now he definitely had to win.

“Deal?” Lance’s grin shone so brightly it could easily light a thousand candles, and he thrust his hand out for Keith to shake on it.  
  
Keith took the proffered hand smugly, never shy of an easy competition.  
  
Winning against Lance was always a pleasure. How hard would it be to spend 30 days not liking a season?

“Deal.”  
  
  
**

“So, what’s on the list?”  
  
It wasn’t until hours after Lance had left them and both roommates were sitting on their beds, Keith buried in his course work and Shiro buried in a book, that their conversation wandered back to that ominous List Lance had mentioned. Keith was not quite sure if it was from boredom or interest, but he had just spent the last ten minutes reading and highlighting the same three sentences and he might as well give up for the day.

“Um, here.” Shiro handed him a list full of checkboxes, scribbled down in his familiar neat red letters on white paper, with small drawings of leaves and bats and pumpkins. Keith felt something warm fill his chest looking at the doodled, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t from the tea Shiro had brewed for him ten minutes earlier. 

The list was not as long as he had feared it would be, to his relief, containing only five or six prompts. Some of them sounded easy, like wearing oversized sweaters and spending rainy days inside. Other items on the list made Keith falter. 

“Apple Picking? As in a date?” Keith's brows rose and he fought to keep his face neutral.  
  
Having a crush on your roommate was one thing, having to go on play-dates with him was a completely different. 

"Oh," Shiro said, rushing, “You know, we don’t really have to do all this. It’s more like… the first Pinterest Autumn To Do List I found?”  
  
Seeing Shiro blush and stutter was definitely something new, though altogether charming. Even if he didn’t like fall that much, Keith loved how Shiro would flourish at the mention of pumpkin soup and hot cocoa. At least he would get to make Shiro happy by accompanying him. And if some of the prompts made them spend more time together, that was all the better.  
  
He wouldn't be alone in conquering the list, and he'd be doing it all with his best friend-slash-crush. What's the worst that could happen?

A lot.

As in, having said secret crush deepen and potentially be let out accidentally, effectively ruining their friendship if Shiro didn't feel the same way.

Keith frowned, then stopped Shiro midway through his backtracking. “No, this sounds like fun. I’m from Texas, remember? I’ve never been apple picking”, he said, shaking his head, not sure if he was trying to calm himself or Shiro. He took a breath, forcing himself to push the words out casually, "So yeah, it’s a date.”

Shiro beamed, and Keith managed a cautious smile in return, though both his heart and brain were ringing alarm bells. 

Maybe, this challenge with Lance was going to be harder than he thought.  
  
****


	2. Apple Picking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Ready to show me the magic of apple picking?” Keith teased. _
> 
> _He was still pretty sure nothing could change his mind about disliking the season, but Shiro trying so hard was rather charming. _
> 
> _“Brace yourself, Keith. Once we’re done, you’ll be the biggest autumn lover on campus.” The words were bursting with confidence and so was Shiro’s smile. _
> 
> _Keith felt his chest squeeze, and choked out, “Big words, Shirogane. Bring it on.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith) Prompt Day 1: **Apple Picking** or Pumpkin Patch.
> 
> Thanks again to [ils](https://twitter.com/justsayins) and [Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing) for saving this chapter <3
> 
> ****

One thing was for sure: The weather in October was awful. 

The first week of October had brought nothing but rainy days and rainy nights and all Keith had been seeing when looking out of any windows had been heavy rain pouring down. In the rare seconds it wasn’t raining cats and dogs, there was at least a drizzle or light shower filling the air.

October was wet. 

And Keith hated it.

He missed hot summer days, missed wearing shorts, and missed sitting out late at night underneath the stars with Shiro and a bottle of cheap wine they had stolen from some frat party.

Since October had rolled around, it had been nothing but grey skies and days getting shorter. And rainstorms that left him with wet shoes and wet socks. 

And so, on this particular day, the first Saturday of October, the first day of the week that didn’t start wet and rainy and dark, Keith hoped dearly they had finally reached the end of the rainy season.  
  
It was also the day that Shiro would take him on their first fall date.  
  
Keith would never dare admit that looking forward to what Shiro liked to refer to as their “Apple Picking Date” had kind of, sort of, made his rainy days the slightest bit better. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, though. Shiro obviously meant the date would be platonic – he was just the type of guy who casually referred to a normal day out with his best friend as a date. It was a very Shiro thing to do (though... Keith didn’t want to admit to himself that their outings were the only thing Shiro would refer to as dates. Not that they counted, anyway.)

Not only would Keith never admit he was excited for this date, but he would also rather die than confess that he'd actually woken up that morning with a smile on his lips. Said smile stayed plastered on his lips all morning, even when Shiro shoved a thermos full of coffee into his hands and pulled him downstairs to his car, a hand-me-down Ford that had definitely seen better days. Still, it had been cheap and served its purpose.  
  
“Your carriage is waiting for you.” Shiro faked a royal bow, pointing at the car. The laugh that left Shiro’s mouth as Keith nudged him in the side for the remark was music in Keith’s ears. The _ good _ kind of music, not the indie-autumn-folk-playlist Shiro was currently playing on their way to the orchard. 

Despite whatever feelings he had towards Shiro's basic music taste, Keith's goofy smile stayed firmly fixed to his face. He also had to begrudgingly admit it actually wasn't the worst music he'd heard. 

  
It might actually fit the golden leaves that paved their way and Shiro’s awful red plaid flannel shirt.  
  
  
*  


Shiro's flannel shirt wasn't the only awful thing there, Keith decided. 

So was the ground, muddy from days of rain.  
  
“So, apple picking,” Keith muttered as soon as they left the car on the empty orchard’s parking site. His nonchalant words didn't fully hide his disgust, going by Shiro's grin.

“Yes – A very autumn thing to do!” Again, Shiro’s whole look was totally in season. His sweater had made way for the awful flannel button-down and the scarf around his neck wasn’t as fluffy as the ones Keith had spotted him wearing the rest of the week, but the hiking boots and the beanie completed his ‘Autumn 101’ outfit. 

Keith felt severely underdressed with his leather jacket and the pants he had been wearing for the last couple of days.  
  
“You know what the best thing about apple picking is?” Shiro asked while he shoved an empty canvas bag into Keith’s hands. At Keith's blank look, he continued, “You get to bake apple pie afterward!” 

Well. That was a very valid argument. Freshly baked apple pie sounded amazing to Keith. 

  
“Ready to show me the magic of apple picking?” Keith teased as they started making their way to the entry of the orchard. He was still pretty sure nothing could change his mind about disliking the season, but Shiro trying so hard was rather charming.  
  
“Brace yourself, Keith. Once we’re done, you’ll be the biggest autumn lover on campus.” The words were bursting with confidence and so was Shiro’s smile.  
  
Keith felt his chest squeeze, and choked out, “Big words, Shirogane. Bring it on.”  
  
And when Shiro linked their arms, Keith’s heart started beating the slightest bit faster.  
  
*  
  
Keith had absolutely no idea how Shiro had managed to find the only apple orchard in the middle of nowhere, but the only other people there were two pensioners pushing a big wheelbarrow, already filled to the brim with apples and the boy sitting in the booth at the entry to the orchard, apparently very busy with playing some game on his phone. When Shiro guided Keith onto the orchard, the boy only gazed up from his screen to shoot a look full of disinterest in their direction before getting back to his game. 

It was late into apple picking season, and since most of the trees were already devoid of apples, they had to walk a couple of minutes to find the first tree that still had some fruits on it. This left Keith with a few extra minutes linked to Shiro’s arm, so he definitely did not want to complain.

They made their way right to the other end of the orchard, finding an area with a couple of older trees. Compared to the young ones that had already been raided by families, the trees here were about 15 feet tall and wide, with big branches and lots of apples. The second they spotted a suitable tree, Shiro detangled their arms, and the sudden loss of body warmth made Keith release a quiet sigh.  
  
If Shiro had noticed his displeasure, he didn’t comment on it. He was busy inspecting the tree instead, carefully tugging at one of the apples.  
  
“Apples are generally ripe when the stem of the apple is easily removed from the spur of the branch,” he explained, as if picking apples was the same as studying for their courses in astrophysics. “A gentle twist-and-pull motion should be enough.” 

There was a certain pride to his words and his whole posture, and Keith felt a ridiculous rush of affection for how much of a dork Shiro was. The way he talked about something as trivial as apple-picking, well, no wonder Shiro was their professor's favorite TA. 

“These are Braeburns.” Shiro’s words were warm and golden just like the apple he'd picked, holding it as if it was a precious treasure. “Here, the first bite is all yours.”  
  
It should have been silly, getting butterflies in his stomach from Shiro asking him to bite into an apple. But there Keith was, his cheeks warming in the breeze of the autumn day and his fingers trembling when they closed around the apple. 

  
“How is it?” Shiro asked and, honestly, it could have tasted like nothing and Keith still would tell him it was good, just to see Shiro beam at him like _ that _ . Like he had given him the most precious gift, like a child at Christmas. Then again, maybe his excitement _ had _ taken over his taste buds because there was no way the crisp apple was so damn delicious. 

So Keith answered, trying to play it down: “It’s okay.” Shiro lifted an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. His expression suddenly changed, puzzling Keith with the sudden shift.  
  
“Want to know a secret?” The grin on Shiro’s face was contagious.  
  
“ _ Do _ tell.” Keith’s interest was sparked.  
  
“The best apples are the ones in the treetops.” The far too innocent look on Shiro’s face and the teasing lilt in his voice gave him away, tingling with a suggestion Keith was sure to take.  
  
“What a bummer you suck at climbing trees.”   
  


Shiro's face grew even more smug, responding to the mischievous twinkle in Keith's eyes answering his challenge. And god, Keith loved how they were casually teasing each other. A pathetically large part of him hoped he wasn't misjudging the situation, and that their banter as actually Shiro flirting with him.  
  
“Yeah, totally.” There was a challenge in Shiro’s words and Keith thought he was still joking. Up until the moment Shiro decided to roll up the sleeves of his flannel shirt, baring his stupidly well-sculpted forearms. And while Keith had yet to recover from how hot the stupid flannel shirt could apparently look, Shiro grabbed the nearest branch to swing himself upon the tree in front of them. 

The display of pure masculine strength made Keith choke on his breath.  
  
He really _ was _ screwed.

  
“Who sucks at climbing trees now?” Shiro whistled down from the treetop, sliding smoothly along the tree branches and picking apples like a natural. It should be illegal for him to look so good putting apples into a canvas bag, Keith thought.  
  
It should also be illegal for Shiro to be that competitive, but his teasing words fueled Keith to follow Shiro’s lead, climbing the closest tree. 

Shiro may be woefully attractive enough to make Keith moon over him like an idiot, but he still wasn't going to be bested at apple-picking.

  
*  
  
“Don’t fall down, we don’t want you to crush the apples!”  
  
Fueled by Shiro’s challenging words, filling his bag with apples came easy to Keith. He climbed along the bark smoothly, more careless than he was supposed to be, but the apples hung high and were difficult to reach. Safety wasn't the first priority - beating Shiro was the most important goal right now.

“Hey Shiro, I got fifteen already,” Keith looked over his shoulders, a triumphant smile on his lips, searching for Shiro in one of the surrounding trees.  
  
“That’s really cute, Keith. I have twenty-five.” 

He spotted Shiro on the tree across from him, his bag completely filled with apples dangling from his shoulder. Keith took one look at the smug look on Shiro's face and threw the bad apple he had just picked in his direction, yelling, “Hey Shiro, catch!"  
  
Arguably, aiming wasn't Keith’s best skill, so it was no surprise the apple missed its target by half a mile.  
  
Shiro snorted, “I’m pretty sure even Lance’s aim is better!”  
  
His teasing earned Shiro another apple thrown in his direction, which thankfully hit his shoulder before it fell to the ground below. Keith’s somewhat wounded pride at his terrible earlier throw was slightly compensated.  
  
“Oooh, you really are looking for trouble, aren’t you?” Shiro’s laughter filled the air between them and it was easy, so easy, to get lost in Shiro like that. 

Everything with Shiro was easy, light, warm. 

Beautiful.  


What Keith had not taken into account was Shiro’s hunger for revenge. It took him about five seconds to jump from the tree and run over to get to the tree Keith was in. Three seconds and one smug grin on his lips later, Keith could feel the branches underneath him tremble from where Shiro was shaking the tree.  
  
“That’s not fair!” Keith shouted out, trying to get a hold on the stem. The tree was not high, there were maybe three feet between him and the ground, so falling would definitely not hurt, but he decided to play along with Shiro’s banter.  
  
For a moment, Keith let his mind wander, let himself think about how Shiro would be able to catch him if he would stumble and fall, how the big arms would encircle him, hold him tight. 

Damn, he was so gay for Shiro.  
  
  
The smirk in Shiro’s voice made Keith feel weak, “Never said I played fair.”

Keith wanted to throw a snarky return back at Shiro, wanted to answer him so badly, but he got interrupted in that very moment when the first drops of rain hit him.  
  
And in a matter of seconds, the sky started pouring down on them.  
  
“You’re right, the weather in fall _ is _ awful.” Shiro laughed, so deep and beautiful that Keith couldn't help but join.  
  
The laughter would not stop, not even when they found themselves running through the rain, back to the car, with nothing but Shiro’s jacket hanging over their heads. Not even when Keith stumbled and lost a couple of apples. Not even when Shiro drew him a bit closer, sneaking his arm around Keith’s shoulder so he would fit closer under the jacket. Not when Shiro asked him if he was okay once they were sitting in their car, wet to their bones, their faces flushed and their blood pulsing in their ears.

  
And it was. 

It was _ more _ than okay. 

  
**

  
Soaked as they were, they decided against raiding their dorm kitchen to bake and instead stopped at a convenience store on their way home to pick up some ready-made apple pie.

(Their baking skills could also have played a big role in their decision to slip into comfy clothes instead of fighting a battle against flour boxes and backing paper. “Do you even know how to bake an apple pie?” – “Maybe we should give the apples to Hunk and ask him to bake for us.”)  
  
It might have been ‘just’ cheaply bought supermarket pie, but it wasn’t bad, not at all. Not with Shiro eagerly serving it with ice cream and handing him the bigger slice. Not when Shiro averted his eyes, a light blush sitting on the top of his nose, muttering something about sharing a blanket when they sat down to spend their night on their sofa, binge-watching Netflix and laughing at stupid inside jokes.  
  
Shiro would nudge him in the side when he groaned at some bad plot development and Keith would poke him in the leg with his toe when Shiro would laugh at a particularly bad joke. They ate their way through two pieces, three pieces, and when Keith announced that he wanted to get up to snag a fourth piece, Shiro looked up at him, right through his lashes, slightly shy, and Keith nearly choked on his breath when Shiro offered to feed him a piece of his pie since he “wasn’t hungry anymore.” 

The apple pie tasted even more delicious when it was Shiro’s fork in his mouth.  
  
  
And Keith’s heart skipped a beat at the thought that, maybe, dark and stormy fall evenings were only half as bad with apple pie, ice cream and Shiro’s deep laugh rolling in his ears.  
  
  
****


	3. Harvest Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Much-loved summer heat couldn't compare to the warmth of Shiro’s body heat and the soft blanket they were swaddled in._
> 
> _It was blissful, tender even. _
> 
> _Keith could definitely get used to this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith) Prompt Day 2: **Harvest Moon** or Hay Ride.
> 
> Biggest thank you to [Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing), who basically has become the heart and soul of this whole piece.
> 
> ****

Keith was pretty sure falling asleep in front of the TV hadn’t been on Shiro’s list of Ultimate Autumn Activities, but somehow they’d managed to fall asleep mid-way through their space documentation, all wrapped up in their blankets. When Keith woke up that morning, his muscles felt heavy from the unusual sleeping position, and there was a weight in his lap that kept him from moving. 

The cricks in his neck were suddenly forgotten at the sight of Shiro’s head pillowed on his legs, his body curled up on the sofa. The whole scene was so domestic, waking up in the soft hues of the morning lights, with Shiro close to him, making his toes curl and his chest feel warm.  
  
Much-loved summer heat couldn't compare to the warmth of Shiro’s body heat and the soft blanket they were swaddled in.

It was blissful, tender even.   
  
Keith could definitely get used to this.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Their morning stayed just as domestic as the accidental morning snuggles, with Shiro humming along to one of his indie playlists and Keith hissing over the paper he had to finish for one of his classes.   


Around noon, Hunk and Lance stumbled into their dorm room, bringing freshly baked pumpkin bread and good news.

“... and then Allura kissed me on the cheek when we said good-bye! On the cheek guys!” Lance ended his story about his pumpkin patch date with Allura. Apparently their date had gone well, considering they didn’t get into a fight about pie recipes and even held hands while picking a few smaller pumpkins.

“Uh, yeah Lance, you’re practically dating now!” Keith rolled his eyes before stuffing a piece of pumpkin bread into his mouth. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the calculating twinkle in Lance’s eyes before he bent over Keith. “Sooooooo how’s our little project coming along? You already saving money for my Christmas gift?”

The smug expression on Lance’s face was effectively ruined by the pumpkin bread he’d shoved into his mouth right before speaking. Keith watched him with disgusted amusement.  
  
“We went apple picking yesterday,” Shiro explained nonchalantly and Lance raised an eyebrow. 

His response was cut off when Hunk chimed in. “Oh, you should have told me you got apples! I’ll definitely make some apple pie for you!”

Bless Hunk, honestly.

  
Shiro was getting ready for a trip to the library, and Keith watched him wrap one of his big scarves around his neck, wondering if it would be long enough to fit two people.

The sudden image in his mind of taking a walk with Shiro, sharing his scarf and walking through piles of leaves, was quite appealing. He wished he could join him, but he was stuck inside, with Lance, Hunk and his term paper.   
  
“Go ahead, take as many as you like!” Shiro shrugged in the direction where they’d dumped their bags yesterday.

Keith was glad they shared the same level of tolerance when it came to things being left in their dorm room. To be fair, getting out of their wet clothes and basically inhaling store-bought apple pie had been the priority when they’d come home yesterday.   
  
“I’ll be off. See you guys.” Shiro slipped into his hiking boots and put on his favorite beanie, the black knit one, before waving goodbye. “Keith, don’t forget you promised to watch the Harvest Moon with me tonight,” he added, then casually bent down to place a soft kiss on Keith’s cheek.   
  
He left the room, humming cheerfully, leaving Keith with a burning face and Lance and Hunk with the biggest grins aimed at Keith.   
  
“ _ ‘Practically dating _ ’, huuuuh?”   
  
Lance’s comment earned him a well-deserved kick to the shin.   
  
  
***   
  
For the first night in a week, the evening sky was clear. No rain, no clouds, only bright stars sparkling down on them when Shiro dragged him up to the rooftop.

Keith still grumbled at the fact that he had to interrupt writing his paper for the night but it was hard to say no to a Shiro that was beaming down at him and holding up a loaded picnic basket. That’s how he found himself sitting on their dormitory rooftop twenty minutes later, wrapped in one of Shiro’s woolen blankets, staring at the clearest night sky he had seen in days.    
  


They’d made a habit of sneaking up here when Shiro had first stolen the key from some upperclassman at one of their first frat parties, bringing cheap wine and talking about their hopes and fears while wishing on shooting stars and getting drunk.   
  
So when Shiro pulled out a bottle of wine, Keith was happy to take the first sip before handing it back to him. What surprised him were the muffins that had made their way into Shiro’s picnic basket.

“Hunk sends his regards - he was really happy about the apples we brought him,” Shiro explained, sharing a soft smile with him before taking another sip from the wine bottle. They had long stopped pretending to care about glasses.

Shiro’s gaze focused on the night sky, where the Harvest Moon hung over the city, big and orange, just touching a mountain range in the far distance. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”  
  
It was. Beautiful and breathtaking, Keith thought, when he could make out craters on the glowing surface with his bare eyes. He had never seen such a clear and big full moon before

His attention was drawn to Shiro rummaging in the basket, getting out what Keith recognized as tealight candles.  
  
“You brought candles?” The question was redundant since Shiro had already begun lighting them and positioning them around where they were seated.   
  
“Yeah, these are autumn leaves-scented,” Shiro winked at him, before snuggling back into their blanket. Keith hoped he wasn’t imagining how they were suddenly sitting closer together, but he blamed it on the blanket. Sharing their warmth in the cold autumn night was so much better than freezing to death. Totally.  
  
They sat in silence for a while, watching the moon rise and illuminate the sky while they took turns sipping wine. Hunk’s muffins were long gone when Shiro broke the quiet.

“I’m happy you’re here with me, Keith.”   
  
Keith snickered. The season seemed to make him really sentimental. Or the wine. Maybe both. “You really like the whole autumn stuff, don’t you?”   
  
“Yeah, it’s my favorite season,” Shiro smiled against the rim of the wine bottle. Keith hoped he’d brought a second bottle, because judging from their pacing they’d soon need another one.   
  
“Don’t know what gave it away,” Keith said breezily, and the way Shiro bumped their shoulders together made his toes curl.   
  
“I guess it comes from having to face death when I was really young? I was diagnosed and the doctors said I wouldn't make it to 20. Pretty hard stuff for a 13-year-old.” The huff on Shiro’s lips is bittersweet.

Keith listened in silence, having known Shiro long enough to know about the disease he hid well under his muscled exterior. The disease that had him on meds every day, which he took diligently while hoping his doctors wouldn’t call him back for any disturbing results from his monthly blood tests.

“So I found joy in the season where everything was dying. My emo years were wild.”

Keith knew too well how Shiro tried to cope with his dark humor, tried his best to find something positive in the negativity that had dominated his life.  
  
“And when the doctors came up to me and told me it was over, that I was cured, I…” Shiro’s eyes fixed on his right hand, opening and closing in a fist. The pure surprise about being able to move his fingers was clear in his eyes. “I don’t know, something about nature dying only to be reborn again in spring seems pretty poetic to me.”  
  
“Shiro...” At a loss for words, Keith tried to be there for his best friend. His hand wandered to where Shiro was clenching his fist, fingers carefully wrapping around Shiro’s wrist, squeezing lightly to comfort him.  
  
“Nah, sorry for the dark mood. Actually autumn has some pretty colors and you can wear cozy sweaters. And I just love pumpkins.” It was heartbreaking, seeing Shiro try to use his smile to play it all off.  
  
“Hey.” It was with another bump of shoulders that Keith drew the attention to him, catching Shiro from sinking too deep into his thoughts. Keith squeezed Shiro’s wrist again before loosening his grip slightly. He let his fingers sweep over Shiro’s hand, the one that was closest to him, and let their fingers interlace.  
  
  
“Hm?” was all he got as a reply from Shiro in a punched-out breath.  
  
“I’m happy you’re here.” And from the way Shiro looked at him, Keith knew it was enough.   
  


It was enough when they shared a soft smile and another sip of wine or two, staring in silence at the beautiful night sky in comforting silence.  
  
****


	4. Sweater Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Hey, is ‘catching a cold’ also on your list of Autumn Must-Haves, Shiro?” Keith asked while bending over to fetch a new Kleenex from the tissue box. He hated being sick._
> 
> _“How many times do I have to apologize again? I thought the blanket was enough. You could have worn a warmer jacket?“ Shiro was quite a sight, with his outdoor vest and his plaid shirt, combined with the long scarf wrapped around his neck, emphasizing his broad shoulders just right. _
> 
> _Still, Keith could only grumble against the rim of his teacup. Well, Shiro was right… “How come you’re not sick?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith) Prompt Day 3: **Sweater Weather** or Comfort Food.
> 
> Biggest thank you to Birthday-[Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing) for betaing and flailing at me long after bedtime! 
> 
> ****

As it turned out, spending hours sitting outside and watching the Harvest Moon wasn't only the ideal setting to pretend to be on a date with your long-term crush – it was also the perfect setting to catch a cold.

Two days later Keith caught himself sniffling over his morning tea while he watched Shiro get ready for class, a sore throat and a headache being his constant companions since waking up.  
  
“Hey, is ‘catching a cold’ also on your list of Autumn Must-Haves, Shiro?” Keith asked while bending over to fetch a new Kleenex from the tissue box. He hated being sick.  
  
“How many times do I have to apologize again? I thought the blanket was enough. You could have worn a warmer jacket?“ Shiro was quite a sight, with his outdoor vest and his plaid shirt, combined with the long scarf wrapped around his neck, emphasizing his broad shoulders just right.  
  
Still, Keith could only grumble against the rim of his teacup. Well, Shiro _ was _ right… “How come you’re not sick?”  
  
“It’s the power of sweaters! And regular workouts,” Shiro explained, chuckling while bowing down to lace his ridiculous hiking boots. This front-row view on Shiro’s backside bent over like that was definitely one of the only benefits the shoes provided.  
  
Keith rolled his eyes at Shiro’s explanation before blowing his nose extra loudly. Colds were from Satan himself and Keith hated them – and he made sure to tell Shiro as much.  
  
“Look, I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you. What do you think, hot cocoa and Netflix after classes?” Shiro was lucky Keith was weak for his smile, otherwise, he’d really be peeved by his running nose and headache.  
  
“Only if you’re bringing snacks,” Keith sniffed, coughing a dramatically-faked cough to underline his words.

Before he left the room, Shiro turned to where Keith was sitting at his desk, leaning down to softly peck on Keith’s cheek. “Of course! Be sure to get some rest!”   
  
As if he hadn't just left Keith in an emotional disarray, Shiro nonchalantly waved his coffee mug at him when he left their room.  
  
He could really get used to Shiro kissing him goodbye.  


***  
  
The third week of October brought another downpour of rain. 

Keith wondered if the sky would ever get tired of simply raining for days and days, but there was no end to the constant wetness in sight. On the upside, it was perfect weather to stay indoors. 

Deciding it wouldn't hurt to miss the three lectures scheduled for the day, and catch up on some sleep instead, Keith had spent most of the day in bed. By the time Shiro returned from his classes, he was up to two painkillers, four cups of tea and one box of tissues. 

“How are you feeling?” Shiro asked as soon as he entered their room, bee-lining to Keith’s bed where he sat down beside him.  
  
“Better. My head doesn’t feel like exploding anytime soon, so that’s a huge plus,” Keith groaned. His voice still sounded hoarse, but the tea had helped a lot to make him sound like a human being again. Keith’s groan was interrupted when Shiro’s hand found Keith’s forehead, checking for any signs of a fever, and Keith found his face heat up. Though it might not have been from his cold.  
  
Shiro sitting so close to him, caring for him like that, felt awfully domestic. It made his heart beat faster in sheer bliss. 

“At least you sound better. And you don’t seem feverish to me. Your face looks really flushed, though, that’s strange.”

Yeah, totally strange, Keith thought, mentally rolling his eyes. 

Unfortunately, Keith couldn't bathe in Shiro’s presence for too long. Too soon for his liking, Shiro stood up again.  
  
“I promised you hot cocoa and Netflix, didn’t I?”

The smile on Shiro’s lips made it hard to say no.  
  
*** 

“Wait, Keith.”  
  
When Keith plopped down onto their couch twenty minutes later, ready to snuggle up into their blankets, Shiro stopped him by shoving something into his hands. It was beige, soft wool and from the handknit pattern, Keith recognized it as a sweater. One of Shiro’s favorites, the one he usually wore most days. For a second he contemplated burying his nose into the soft fabric before his sanity stopped him from making a fool out of himself. He could already smell the familiar scent of Shiro mixed with their cheap fabric softener anyway.  
  
“Put it on, it’s perfect sweater weather outside and we don’t want your cold to get any worse.” Shiro smiled at him, warm and gentle, and if it made Keith press his fingers a little deeper into the fabric, he didn’t let it show.  


“Thank you,” Keith answered while stripping off the shirt he was wearing to replace it with the sweater. Shiro made a small noise, but with his head buried deep in the piece of clothing, Keith was pretty sure he was imagining Shiro stuttering gibberish.  
  
The sweater felt tender and warm against his skin, while the long sleeves gave some extra comfort. It was too easy wrapping himself in the absolute blanket of a sweater, especially with Shiro’s scent encircling him like a gentle hug.  
  
“Feels really nice,” Keith looked up at Shiro, just to notice his roommate had averted his eyes, shyly scratching his face. Was that a blush on his cheeks? Must have been the cold making him imagine things.  
  
“Is wearing oversized sweaters also on your list? Because you can definitely check that for me,” Keith admitted while making himself comfortable in the huge sweater. There might really be things in autumn that he could fall for.  
  
“Yeah, definitely. Oversized sweaters and hot cocoa,” Shiro explained, looking down at him, warm and comforting like he always did. It definitely set some butterflies in Keith’s stomach free.  
  
“So...where’s my hot cocoa?” With a smug grin on his face, Keith tried to change the conversation to something safe so he could stop feeling so flustered.  
  
“Brat,” Shiro muttered, but he still got up to make his way to their microwave.  
  
***  
  
Ten minutes later, they found themselves on their sofa, mugs of steaming drinks in hand, both in comfy sweaters and a fuzzy blanket over their legs. Shiro had even gone to great lengths to light some candles, filling the room with the scent of berries and vanilla. 

The flickering light and the heavy fragrance made Keith feel like a Pinterest fall mood board come to life. And he started to like the comfort it provided. 

He should definitely not tell Lance about this.   
  
“What are you thinking about?” It was kind of cute, the way Shiro’s toes nudged against his thigh underneath their blanket.

“Are you wearing fuzzy socks?” Keith realized, Shiro’s toes too soft where they touched his leg. 

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t?” Keith just laughed at Shiro for his defensive words, before shaking his head in disbelief. Shiro was just too pure.   
  
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say that you _ like _ them.” Shiro’s smug grin that accompanied his words quickly turned into one of pain when Keith’s elbow nudged him in the ribs, accompanied by a verbal protest, “Hey!”  
  
“You know, this really feels comfy,” Keith admitted with a shrug. He could see Shiro’s face relax back into a smile, which was accompanied by a dreamy look, one that was very rare on him.  
  
Keith’s surprise must have been visible on his own face when Shiro exhaled.   
  
“I…ah no, it’s silly.”  
  
“You can’t just start like that and not finish. Come on. Tell me.” Keith took a last sip from his hot cocoa before placing the empty mug onto the small coffee table they had somehow managed to squeeze between the television and the sofa. Shiro’s secretive manner had stirred his interest.

Leaning back on the sofa gave Keith the excuse to slide closer to Shiro. The radiating body heat was like a magnet, pulling him in. Shiro didn't seem to mind Keith's sudden approach, in fact, Keith felt Shiro's arm sneak around his torso, tentatively at first, but coming to a rest on Keith’s hip. Keith’s heart skipped a beat when he felt Shiro’s fingers slowly grazing the fabric of his sweater.  
  
The silence between them was comforting, calming. Keith watched the flames of the candles flicker, bathing both of them in hues of orange and red.  
  
“I just... always wanted to spend cozy autumn nights with someone special like this, you know?” Shiro breathed after a minute, breaking their silence.  
  
“Someone special?” The laugh that escaped Keith's lips was bittersweet. Shiro would never refer to him like that, could he?  
  
“Yeah, like… the last time I did something like this was with my high school sweetheart and… well you know how that ended.”

Oh well, he _ knew _ . He knew the story of Shiro’s ex-boyfriend dumping him for moving to the other side of the country for college. Keith had never met him, but he hated him with a passion.  
  
“So, do I pass your testrun?” Keith tried his best to fake a smile when he looked up at Shiro, afraid to give away how much his heart ached when he thought about Shiro spending his time with _ someone special. _   
  
But Shiro saw through his farce. “ _ Test run _ ? Keith, you _ are _ someone special to me!”  
  
“Me?” He might have stumbled over his word, might have choked, his eyes widening in disbelief. Shiro was surely kidding.  
  
“Yes Keith, you are. You really. Are.” Shiro was close, so much closer to him. Keith could feel the hot breath on his skin, could feel Shiro’s fingers on his hip curl, drawing him closer. His eyes were piercing, burning down on him, pinning him in place.

“Keith,” Shiro exhaled softly, the name on his lips a mere whisper into the space between them. His gaze softened.  
  
“Shiro.” In the flickering of the candlelight, Shiro looked even softer, even more beautiful to him, with his eyes so deep and caring, with his smile so warm and caring. 

It was easy to bend into Shiro’s space, to get lost in his eyes and his whole being. He was a sun and Keith a planet, orbiting around him, drawn to him by magnetic force. 

It was so, so easy to angle his face up just the slightest, to curve just so he could feel Shiro’s hot breath against his cheek, count each of his eyelashes. 

Shiro’s lips looked inviting like this, slightly open, full, pink. 

Begging to be kissed.

Before his eyes could flutter closed, a loud banging on the door made them jump, bumping their heads together when Keith fell back against the pillows and Shiro scurried off the sofa to open the door.  
  
“Heeeeey friends, how is Project Autumn coming along?” 

_ They had been so close to a kiss! _ Keith inwardly screamed.   
  
_ Damn you, Lance! _  
  
  
*****


	5. Jumping in Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Hey,” was all Keith could whisper when Shiro drew him closer, letting their foreheads touch. _
> 
> _“Hey,” was all Shiro could whisper in return when Keith’s hands delved into the fabric of Shiro’s sweater. _
> 
> _“You know, I might have actually wished for something.”_
> 
> _Keith had never felt so in love before._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith) Prompt Day 4: **Jumping in Leaves** or Homecoming Games.
> 
> Biggest thank you to [Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing) for betaing, capslocking and forgetting how to breathe after reading this chapter.
> 
> Brace yourself, this chapter is _soft_!
> 
> ****

The first day that brought actual sun was a pure blessing to Keith.  
  
Unfortunately, it was also the day he had to spend inside trapped by his astrophysics professor and a seemingly infinite amount of classes ahead.

Concentrating was hard after sitting in the same spot for three hours. Keith’s legs started to hurt and he could feel his headache returning from the way their professor rambled on about alternate universe theories. 

Just when he thought he was about to fall asleep, Shiro nudged him in the side from where he was sitting next to him. Keith raised his eyebrow, clearly not amused by Shiro’s disturbance.

Completely ignoring Keith’s death glance, Shiro slid a piece of paper in his direction and Keith realized it was a tiny doodle, scribbled on a lined page from Shiro’s notebook.

The doodle showed two stick figures surrounded by a couple of piles. One of the stick figures had a mop of aggressively sketched dark hair while the other one was bigger and wore what Keith assumed was a scarf. Keith felt sort of bad that he had to squint extra hard to recognize the two stick figures as Shiro and himself.  
  
It brought a smile to Keith’s lips, the way Shiro seemed to be proud of the scribble that looked like a ten-year old’s, rough lines and squishy blobs instead of the piles of leaves. Shiro’s strengths clearly lay somewhere else. 

Keith's thoughts were interrupted when Shiro repeatedly tapped the end of his pen against the paper and it made Keith look up to where Shiro had used bold scrawling letters to write something.

_ “Do you want to jump leaves with me? _ _  
_ _ yes // no // maybe” _

Even though it was so cliché and Keith was _ sure _ Shiro had spotted the idea on the same Pinterest wall he'd found his autumn checklist, he still felt a warmth spread in his chest. He was sure Shiro only went to such lengths to round off his Perfect Autumn Experience™. Still, his cheeks felt warm every time he was reminded that he had an actual excuse to go on an actual date with Shiro. 

Be it as an official couple or just as bros being bros.

(Hopefully as an official couple.)  
  
  
The past few days had completely caught him off-guard. He'd been so sure Shiro was only thinking of him as a friend, best friend, roommate. But their dates had felt like so much _ more _than that. They'd never sat so close together, and they'd never woken up all tangled up on their sofa. 

Furthermore, they'd never been interrupted from a kiss before.  
  
And it had definitely been an attempted kiss!

There was no way around it. Even if neither of them had dared mentioning it, the almost-kiss hung between them, charging the air with an electricity neither of them dared to address. 

Considering the fact that Shiro hadn't stopped their fall dates, Keith was pretty certain he wasn't the only one falling deeper and deeper.

So Keith bumped their shoulders together before wordlessly mouthing “You’re a sap,” in Shiro’s direction.  
  
“You like it!” Shiro mouthed back.  
  
Keith made sure to use a bright red marker to circle ‘yes’ three times.

And underlined it. For good measure.

***  
  
Unfortunately, their astrophysics professor had a penchant for getting into lengthy monologues, so when they finally left their building that evening, it was pitch-dark outside. Which was wholly unsuitable for jumping leaves.

The crisp air of the autumn evening hit their skins as they left, causing Keith to shove his hands into the pockets of his jacket and Shiro to pull his scarf around his neck a bit tighter.

“It’s so dark already," Shiro bemoaned, "I was looking forward to jumping leaves.”

His crestfallen look didn't stay long on his face when Keith promised him, “We’ll do it tomorrow,” and they shared a smile.

“Tomorrow…?” Shiro checked, hesitant, as if he really didn't believe Keith would want to go jumping around with him at another time than what they'd planned in class. 

Honestly.

Keith would pick countless apples and watch the stars and spend hours frolicking in piles of leaves if it made Shiro happy.  
  
He simply answered a soft, “Yeah,” before they both fell into a pleasant tranquillity, walking back to their dorm.

Keith was sure he was walking a bit closer to Shiro than usual, leaving just enough distance between them for Shiro to sneak an arm around him. 

If he leaned into it, it was definitely because of the cool autumn temperature, nothing else. Shiro's arm was a warm, solid weight that felt like comfort and security.   


And, wow, did it feel amazing.  
  
***  
  
Keith woke up to his alarm aggressively beeping, wrenching him from a dream he couldn’t remember. He was pretty sure it was warm and soft and he had a faint memory of Shiro being part of it. A familiar feeling under his covers told him at least he didn't imagine the dream being _ warm _. 

Groaning, Keith shuffled around in his bed to shut the alarm up, when his eyes landed on a new message from Shiro, picture attached. It was nothing unusual, Shiro being already awake and out, probably on his morning jog.  
  
Keith had no idea how Shiro managed to function before his first coffee, let alone go on a jog. But he had to admit it was paying off. 

So Keith opened the image without preamble and was greeted by the sweat-soaked torso of Takashi Shirogane, his shirt clinging to his body and his hair tousled from the wind. A big grin was plastered on his flushed face. It was _ so _ charming. 

The words underneath the picture read “Happy Birthday, be back soon”.  
  
Heck. 

Keith shoved his face in his pillow to muffle his half-excited and half-frustrated scream. On one hand, waking up to a hot, sweaty Takashi Shirogane was a dream come true. On the other hand, his body was very _ interested _and frustrated that said man was so far out of reach. 

And oh yeah, speaking of Shiro's caption, it _ was _ his birthday... 

He'd never really cared for the day, what with his parents out of the picture, but Shiro actually remembering which date it was, even sending him a picture like this when they would see each other shortly after, was an overwhelming new experience.  
  
"_Happy birthday, indeed_," Keith mumbled under his breath, then decided to torture himself by looking at Shiro's wet, irresistible chest again.

God.

He had a moment to contemplate whether it was creepy to stare at Shiro's body for so long, but ultimately, his basal needs won out. _ I'm a terrible friend _ , he thought, before he let his hand wander to do _ something _ about the heat embracing his body. 

  
*  
  
Really, he should've guessed Shiro wouldn't return empty handed. When Keith emerged from the shower, the tips of his hair still dripping wet and only wearing his underwear, Keith found himself being dragged into Shiro’s strong embrace, his arms encircling him completely, pressing him against the firm chest. Shiro whispering an ecstatic “Happy Birthday” into his ear did _ not _ help stop the blush creeping into his cheeks.  
  
Their small table was decorated with a couple of presents from his friends, including an odd-shaped pumpkin that had a tag on it looking dangerously close to Lance’s handwriting and what seemed to be freshly baked apple pie with a cute candle on top.

Keith was touched.

He couldn't remember if there had been any birthday where he could actually feel the love of his friends overwhelming him like this. 

“The others want to see you at the coffee shop later, but they told me to give you your presents now. Lance can't wait to hear you worshipping his gift.” Shiro’s smile was contagious.  
  
“Oh, well I appreciate the pumpkin?"  
  
Keith let his gaze wander over the presents on the table, the different kinds of wrapping paper and decorations. He recognized Lance’s present, sitting right next to the pumpkin, lousily packed in brown wrapping paper. Pidge had used neat, green paper to wrap a square box, and Keith was sure the pink present with the lovely bows came from Allura.  
  
One present stood out, neatly wrapped in oranges and reds - autumn colors - decorated with dried leaves.   
  
“Did you wrap this yourself?” He lifted an eyebrow in Shiro’s direction who started scratching his head in a guilty gesture. “I had Allura help me. But don’t tell her you know!”  
  
“Can I open it?” Keith let his hands graze over the wrapping paper, tugging at the decorative leaves and bows.  
  
“Of course!” Shiro’s words were so earnest and gentle, his eyes soft when he looked at Keith and it flustered him even more. How was it possible for Shiro’s simple gestures to be so casually devastating?  
  
He would have expected anything, from a new coffee maker to cheesy novels about their favourite Netflix show. What he did not expect was a box labeled as “Autumn Essentials”.

“Oh no, you didn’t!” Keith exclaimed, before he opened the lid. He could nearly feel Shiro grin down at him. “I did.”  
  
The box was filled with a broad variety of things he had seen Shiro use over the last couple of days. A thermos for coffee, a big soft scarf, a dark red beanie and, to top it all off, an oversized sweater. Shiro had really outdone himself.  
  
“You’re such a sap," he laughed into Shiro’s ear while hugging him again. “I love it, thank you!”

Feeling ridiculously giddy and grinning like a deranged idiot, Keith knew his smile was going to be stuck on his face all day.  
  
“Want to take your new sweater on a maiden voyage?”

Keith nodded his head avidly while digging his fingers into the soft fabric of his new sweater. It felt perfect.  
  
“Okay, but first…” Shiro rummaged for a lighter and a kitchen knife, fidgeting with both for a minute before handing Keith a piece of the apple pie topped with the now lit birthday candle.  
  
“Make a wish,” Shiro beamed at him, bright and beautiful, causing the butterflies in Keith’s stomach to do somersaults.  
  
“I don’t have one.” The words come out shy, reluctant, apparently confusing Shiro.   
  
“Sure?” Shiro’s eyes were staring down at him, so gentle but certain. Keith could only close his eyes while shaking his head, before he blew out the candle.  
  
_ It’s you, it’s always you. _  
  
  
***

An hour later, they found themselves taking a walk to their favourite coffee shop, a hole in the wall place a couple of minutes away from campus. When Hunk and Pidge had started working part-time at the café, it soon became their preferred meeting spot on weekends.

Keith felt warm and comfortable in his new clothes. Shiro had made him wear his new sweater and the beanie and might have pocketed Keith’s new thermos as well.

“Just in case,” he'd explained. Keith hoped it would always be the case.

Their walk led them through a small park area. It had already been nice walking the tree-lined roads in spring and summer, but as it was now, paved with piles of leaves and the sun bathing it in soft hues where it was shining through the trees, it was breathtaking. 

Even Keith had to admit that. 

Though he would never tell Lance as much.  
  
They weren't alone in the alley - a couple of people had been lured outside by the promise of sunbeams and autumn leaves. A dog caught their attention, happily barking and wagging its tail. It jumped through the piles, disappearing in the leaves for a few seconds, before re-emerging, barking louder than before.

Keith could have watched the dog for hours.  
  
“He’s enjoying his best life,” he said before he could see a dangerous spark in Shiro’s eyes, accompanied by a smug curl of his lips.  
  
It took Shiro about two seconds to take a leap, jumping right into the nearest pile of leaves and sending some of them flying in the process.  
  
“Having fun?” The question was rhetorical, since Keith could see the smile on Shiro’s face, see him beaming at him, his eyes wrinkled in the corners. Still, he got a thumbs up from Shiro before he strode up to him.  
  
It felt only natural, the way Shiro interlaced his hand with Keith’s, soft fingers sliding against his. It was tentative, gentle, and when his eyes wandered to Shiro’s, he could see a blush on his face, his eyes staring right at the space where their hands touched.  
  
It was an amazing sensation, just standing there, holding hands with Shiro, making Keith hope, pretend to be a couple.  
  
He might have taken a second too long just bathing in the world-shattering moment, because he felt Shiro draw away, could feel his fingers uncurl, followed by the slight pull of his arm.  
  
Before Shiro’s arm could go anywhere, Keith made sure to curl his fingers and trap the hand in his, reassuringly squeezing. 

The hand would definitely need to stay there, there was no way he would ever let it go again. Shiro didn't seem to mind, judging from the way his thumb left small circles on Keith’s hand. Quite the opposite, actually, because Shiro tugged at his hand and led him to the next pile of leaves.  
  
This time, they took a leap together. 

Their laughter filled the air. Keith loved every second of it.

He loved the way Shiro’s cheeks flushed, loved the way his laugh rolled in his chest, loved the way their hands pressed against each other, fingers curled so close as if they never wanted to let go again. He loved the way Shiro looked up at him, lifting his hand to Keith’s hair.  
  
“You’ve got a leaf in your hair,” Shiro explained, grazing Keith’s jaw on his way.

Keith shivered at his touch.

“You’re freezing,” came the realization from Shiro. 

He wanted to correct him, but before he could think twice, Keith’s world narrowed down to the soft scarf Shiro was wrapping around his shoulders, Shiro’s hot breath grazing his cheeks, his brown eyes staring down at him, tinted with adoration.

And all of a sudden, everything made sense to him. 

Keith had never felt so in love before.

“Hey,” was all Keith could whisper when Shiro drew him closer, letting their foreheads touch.   
  
“Hey,” was all Shiro could whisper in return when Keith’s hands delved into the fabric of Shiro’s sweater.  
  
“You know, I might have actually wished for something.”  
  
If his words had been any fainter, they would have been non-existent. A small part of Keith hoped Shiro didn't hear them, just so he would have an excuse if Shiro felt uncomfortable.  
  
Shiro didn’t seem uncomfortable, however, with the way he let his fingers brush over Keith’s cheek, leaving a tingling sensation where he touched skin, his “Yeah?” soft and certain.  
  
“Yeah,” he breathed.  
  
“Happy birthday, Keith," Shiro whispered into the space between them. It was soft, damp, full of love – and Keith could not help but raise himself to his tiptoes. 

Shiro’s lips were warm where they fell against his, a bit dry at the edges, and slightly chapped. The first press of lips was nothing but tentative hesitation, filled with gentle hums and the familiar pressure of Shiro’s fingers against his jaw, accompanied by short breaths. 

When they parted, Keith tried so hard to keep his eyes closed for an extra second, not daring to look Shiro in the eyes, not daring to ruin the moment. The soft swipe of Shiro’s thumb over his cheekbone was what finally made him open his eyes. 

  
Shiro’s mouth was smiling, beaming even, his lips curled upwards.

Shiro’s face was red, his nose flushed deep pink, his cheeks slightly tinted.

And Shiro’s eyes… Shiro’s eyes were bright and beautiful, full of love and warmth, telling him everything he needed to know. 

Here, standing between two piles of leaves and with Shiro smiling at him like he was _ everything _, Keith felt he might actually understand why Shiro was so in love with fall. The feeling of Shiro’s lips capturing his in another kiss, one that might take his breath away with the way Shiro’s tongue slid against his lips, filled Keith’s chest with an incredible warmth.

  
Maybe, he thought, the beautiful hues of autumn leaves falling around them could actually make him lose his heart to the season after all.  
  
  
  
****


	6. Pumpkin Spice Latte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Soooooo, what did I miss?” Pidge’s grin was stretched from ear to ear. Talk about nosy. _
> 
> _“Nothing!” Keith crossed his arms in front of his chest, closing his eyes. He tried his best not to let his face show how flustered he was, but he was sure he failed – hiding things from Pidge was close to impossible. _
> 
> _Pidge rolled her eyes while cleaning her hands in her apron. “Yeah. Sure. And I’m a guinea pig.” As she picked up the dirty mugs on the table, she added: “Look, I’m happy for you two. Whatever this is between you.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith) Prompt Day 5: **Pumpkin Spice Latte** or Apple Cider.
> 
> Again, BIGGEST thank you to [Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing) for correcting me when my brain decides to sneak in German words into my texts without realizing ///D
> 
> Thank you for being emotional about the last chapter, I was so soft from reading your comments <3
> 
> ****

The feeling was new, unfamiliar, having Shiro’s arm heavy against his back, Shiro’s fingers sneaking over his back and up his neck everytime when Hunk wasn't looking.    
  
They'd managed to snag their favourite sofa in the coffee shop, the only one that was still cushy enough that you couldn't feel the springs through the worn-out fabric. It had an amazing view outside, Keith found himself admitting when he stared at the tree right in front of the store, bright red leaves covering the floor like one of the blankets Shiro liked to hoard. The remaining leaves on the branches framed the window just right, and Keith felt like an autumn wonderland had come to life in front of his eyes. 

Where Shiro’s left hand was occupied, Shiro’s right hand was busy taking tons of pictures of the tree outside with his phone.   
  
“Do you want me to take a picture of you in the leaves?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew Shiro couldn’t see him from the way his head rested against Shiro’s shoulder, but it was the gesture that counted. 

He half-hoped Shiro would say no, he was too comfortable sitting snuggled like this. His one hand that was not clinging to his mug had found its way to Shiro’s leg, where his thumb softly grazed the seams on the side of his pants.

“Maybe later? Too comfy now,” Shiro murmured against his temple, before leaving a light kiss on his hairline.

Keith’s skin tingled.  _ Everywhere _ . 

Having Shiro close like this still seemed like a dream to him. He was still convinced this whole day was a dream, especially  _ that _ kiss he had just shared with Shiro.

That kiss that still left him tingly and warm, longing to feel Shiro's lips on his again. 

It would have been so easy, bending his face slightly to, closing the few inches between their noses, pressing his mouth against Shiro’s and getting lost in his kiss. 

So easy.

Keith’s head turned. He decided to go for it.

Shiro hadn't seemed to mind their kisses at all, in fact, Keith was pretty sure Shiro had been the one to initiate the second kiss. And the third. And the tenth.

So Keith should simply go for what he deserved, right?  
  
“Special delivery for the birthday boy – oh, don’t tell me I’m  _ interrupting _ something?” Pidge’s words made them break apart in milliseconds as she placed a plate filled with cupcakes on the table in front of him.

Before Keith could so much as blink, Shiro jumped up. “I… I’ll get another PSL. You want one too, Keith?”    


“I’ve had enough sugar for a week,” Keith explained, shaking his head. “But a regular coffee would be nice.”

Shiro left a last squeeze on Keith’s shoulder before he stood up, making his way to the counter where Hunk was cleaning mugs – though not without brushing his lips against Keith’s cheek first. Keith's face grew hot as he watched Shiro leave, his hips swaying as he walked to the counter.  
  
Pidge’s words pulled him back to reality. “Soooooo, what did I miss?” Her grin was stretched from ear to ear. Talk about  _ nosy _ .    
  
“Nothing!” Keith crossed his arms in front of his chest, closing his eyes. He tried his best not to let his face show how flustered he was, but he was sure he failed – hiding things from Pidge was close to impossible.   
  
Pidge rolled her eyes, while cleaning her hands in her apron. “Yeah. Sure. And I’m a guinea pig.” As she picked up the dirty mugs on the table, she added: “Look, I’m happy for you two. Whatever this is between you.”    
  
“Thank you. It’s… new?” Keith explained, because, well, it was. 

They hadn't talked about it, yet, hadn't put a label on what they were. After they had shared chaste kisses under falling leaves, Shiro had gently laced their hands together and tugged him along, heading for the coffee shop. “The others are waiting,” he'd smiled, warm and bright, before he'd pulled Keith’s hand up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on his thumb. 

Keith had been too busy willing the flutter in his stomach to die down to answer. Savoring the moment had been his priority.  
  
“You deserve each other.“ Pidge’s next words got lost when the bell on the door chimed and Lance entered the shop, making a scene of getting rid of his scarf and jacket with far too much flair. Keith didn't know whether he should be happy about being spared any further conversation about his relationship-but-ot-really-a-relationship-because-they'd-only-kissed-so-surely-he-couldn't-call-Shiro-his-boyfriend-yet or if he should dread Lance’s teasing.   


“Heeeeyyyyyy Keithhhh, ma boy! Happy birthday! Come here, gimme a hug!” Lance nearly squeezed him to death as he pulled him into the tightest embrace. “Did you like my present?”   
  
As Keith sat down again, Lance flopped down beside him and slung an arm around his shoulders, drawing him closer to his side. It was by far not as good as Shiro’s hand around his shoulders felt, but Keith appreciated the chance to actually breathe again. “Lovely pumpkin, thank you.”   
  
“Argh, you know I meant the other one.” He could see the corner of Lance’s mouth fall down in a dramatic gesture. Luckily, Keith was spared any further explanation as Shiro returned to their table, two drinks in his hands.    
  
“Shiro. Long time no see. How are you? How's your bucket list going?” Keith was sure he could feel Lance’s side-eyeing him as he mentioned the list. Still, Lance blocked the spot Shiro had occupied before his trip to get more coffee.

Keith felt a pang of disappointment in his gut. Sitting close to Shiro had been nice. He already missed the hand in his hair. 

Instead of sitting down on one of the free chairs, Shiro squeezed into the smallest room left on the sofa, ending with half of him draped over Keith’s lap. Lance let out a strangled gasp, while Keith tried to act as nonchalantly as possible with his kind-of-boyfriend sitting on his legs. 

“What’s that?” He tried changing the subject, eyeing Shiro’s drink suspiciously before taking the mug of steaming coffee from Shiro’s hands.

“Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino”, Shiro explained while sipping on his straw and Keith was sure his face showed just how disgusting he thought the drink was. Pumpkin syrup was one thing when it was warm, but cold? He was pretty sure there weren’t a lot of things more disgusting than that.    
  
“Here, wanna taste?” Shiro brought his drink to Keith’s face, the straw close to his lips, too inviting not to take a sip. 

“Well, what doesn't kill you…” The pumpkin syrup left a sweet taste in his mouth, and Keith had to admit that maybe it didn’t taste  _ that _ bad.   


A second too late, Keith realized how awkward this situation must’ve looked to Lance – Keith's lips wrapped around the straw of Shiro’s drink, Shiro sitting in his lap.   
  
Seeing Lance gasp at them like a fish, opening and closing his mouth without any sound coming out, Keith tried his best to turn the attention away from how awfully close he was bending into Shiro’s space as casually as possible. He didn’t really want to explain something to Lance when he himself wasn’t exactly sure what he and Shiro were.   
  
“Hey, so about that pumpkin you gave me…”   


“Did someone say pumpkin? I have a new recipe for pumpkin soup I want to try. ”

Keith could kiss Hunk for chiming into their conversation, interrupting Lance’s gaping.

Hanging out in the White Lion was easy, with Pidge and Hunk sneaking them leftover cake and free drinks and sitting with them as often as possible. They even played one of Shiro’s Autumn Playlists in the background, putting a smile on Shiro’s face whenever one of his favourite songs came up. He'd spent his fair share of time in the café, studying for upcoming tests or just sitting around and talking about Lance’s failed attempts at flirting. 

  
Today had been different. 

For the first time, Shiro was sitting so close to him, making it hard for his face to stay a normal color and for his stomach to stop from turning. 

They tried to be sneaky, they really did, but Shiro’s hand seemed to be glued to Keith’s leg and well, Keith didn’t mind, not at all. Not even when Lance raised an eyebrow at him or when Hunk’s face was plastered with the biggest grin.   
  
“Guys, is it just me or are those two awfully touchy today?” Hunk remarked when he caught Shiro sneaking his hand up Keith’s leg. Shrugging, Keith was happy about Shiro’s try to laugh it off.  
  
“Soooo,” Lance interrupted Shiro’s awkward attempt at a laugh. “Keith. How is our project coming along? Are you finally embracing fall already?”   
  
“Embracing  _ fall _ ?” Pidge chimed in with a huge grin on her face, bringing another plate full of freshly baked cookies. “I’m pretty sure he’s  _ embracing _ something else.” 

Shiro choked on his drink while Keith wished the earth would open underneath him and swallow him whole. 

Glancing over, he saw that Shiro’s face was just as bright red as his, the same dread in his features.  
  
“Urgh, get a room you two.” Lance's face twisted in faked disgust. 

“Technically, we already have one,” Keith explained, his eyes glistening. 

“Oh dios mios,  _ Keith _ ! Too much information. I do  _ not _ want to go into your room ever again. Next thing you tell me you deflowered your table. Or worse! Your  _ sofa _ . Which would be a shame, I liked your sofa,” Lance rambled on, but Keith only listened to half of it.

He was pretty sure his face couldn’t get any redder than it already was – his cheeks were burning. There’d definitely been no deflowering of any sofas or tables going on. 

At least… not yet.

The thought alone made heat burn in his chest, running further down until he felt a familiar heat boiling in his groin.

‘ _ Abort. Abort. Please not now! _ ’, he prayed to no one in particular.    
  
His prayers were heard when Hunk stuffed a cookie into his mouth and switched the subject to ask, “Any plans for Halloween?”    
  
“Staying in and sleeping sounds fun to me.”

Shiro nodded along to Keith’s words. Though, to be fair, Keith was pretty sure Shiro would agree to any option Keith would propose.

“No way! It’s Halloween, guys. Halloween!” Lance explained, sounding as devastated as if he’d just learnt his favourite show was canceled. “I am shocked!” 

Keith could only shrug. He wasn't a fan of trick-or-treating, and crashing a frat party and drinking to make it kind of endurable didn’t sound as appealing than simply staying inside and spending time with Shiro.  _ Cuddling _ , preferably.

“Anyone up for trick-or-treating?” The suggestion came from Hunk and it was so fitting that it made Keith huff in amusement.   
  
Luckily, he wasn’t the only one disinterested in the proposal. “But it’s cold. And I have a homepage to code,” Pidge groaned.   
  
“You just have to dress warmer.” 

Pidge rolled her eyes at Hunk’s explanation and shook her head to underline just how much she disliked the idea.  
  
It was Lance who finally found a suggestion everyone was reasonably happy with. “Can’t we just… dress up in slutty clothes, meet at a dorm room and drink cheap beer?”   
  
“I mean, pregaming before trick-or-treating doesn't sound bad,” Hunk admitted, trying to warm up to the compromise.  
  
It sounded okay to Keith. He could still have a drink or two and excuse himself before the others would leave for trick-or-treating. He only shrugged approvingly when he felt Lance’s eyes on him. He was way too distracted by Shiro offering him his Frappuccino again.   
  
And maybe, just maybe, he decided he could get used to the sweet taste on his lips.  


  
****


	7. Halloween Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Shiro’s arm circled around his hips, drawing him close and pressing his lips against Keith’s hairline._
> 
> _“You’re a tease,” he whispered against his temple, making Keith melt a little._
> 
> _"What? I couldn't just let Lance win," he answered, trying not to let his voice betray how flustered he was at Shiro being so casually intimate._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith) Prompt Day 6: **Halloween Party ** or Trick or Treat.
> 
> Insert my yelling about my undying love for Beta-[Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing) here, because he's amazing. Full Stop.
> 
> Only one chapter to go!
> 
> ***

“Do I look okay?”   
  


It was with judging eyes that Keith looked at his reflection in their mirror. The scarf was definitely too big and the boots too warm. He was supposed to be dressed up, but the ‘costume’ was way too cozy and comfy and consisting of something he may or may not have been wearing parts of over the past couple of days.

He'd decided to go into full autumn mode, wearing his new sweater he got from Shiro, comfy boots he had found somewhere cheap, his big scarf he was sure he could also use as a blanket and Shiro’s favourite beanie. 

In the mirror he could also see Shiro’s warm smile from where he was sitting on the armrest of their sofa.   
  
“You look perfect. Cozy, warm, very autumn-ish!” Shiro smiled, before placing his hands on Keith’s hips and drawing him closer. It was so easy to turn around, so Keith simply did that, just enough so Shiro could rest his head against Keith’s collarbone, nuzzling the soft skin above where the scarf ended. Shiro left chaste kisses on his neck, sneaking up to his ear, where his lips whispered soft words against his lobe.   
  
“I love you.” 

Even though it was not the first time that Shiro had told him these words, it was still so new, hearing Shiro speak them out, his voice soft and warm. The declaration still made his cheeks heat-up, made him stutter from how flustered he was. 

Keith wished he could always feel like this.

He remembered the first time Shiro had whispered these words at him, casually against his temple while they had been lying entangled on their sofa, hands lazily roaming each other’s body and enjoying simply being together. There had been no way for Keith not to reply with the exact same words.

And even now he couldn’t help himself, it just came so natural to him to capture Shiro’s lips in a kiss, drawing his arms around Shiro’s neck in the process.    
  
“Love you, too,'' he whispered against Shiro’s mouth between kisses. 

And when Shiro slightly tugged at his hips, – drawing both backward so Shiro landed on the sofa and Keith landed on Shiro - Keith just laughed before he decided Shiro’s lips were too inviting not to get lost in.   


An eternity later – or five minutes, who  _ did _ keep track of how much time they spent kissing anyway – Shiro interrupted their make-out session, which Keith was not amused about.   
  
“Damn, we were supposed to leave half an hour ago,” Shiro stated after breaking a particularly wet kiss, one that had Keith curling his toes.

Shiro’s fingers against his jaw kept Keith from simply bending into another kiss. Shiro’s other hand, sitting snugly underneath Keith’s sweater was grazing the soft skin right above his waistband, was clearly stating other priorities.   
  
“Hmpf,” Keith replied, his disappointment clearly visible in the pout on his lips. His pout got even stronger when Shiro’s hand retreated from his stomach as Shiro tried sitting upright.   
  
“Halloween is on the list, Keith.”

It was not voluntarily that Keith sat back, but the image of Shiro in front of him, cheeks flushed red and hair disheveled, strands standing in every possible direction, his eyes glassy and his lips red from their kisses, was a nice compensation.   
  
“Don’t need that list anymore, you’ve already won anyway.” Keith explained with a shrug. “And you don’t have a costume.”   
  
“Oops.”  
  
  
**   
  
In the end, they made it to the party, an hour late and empty-handed. Lance was clearly not amused as he greeted them at the door to his dorm.

He was dressed in a tight bodysuit and Keith really did  _ not _ want to know if it was made from latex. He also didn’t want to let his eyes wander over Lance’s body.  _ Damn _ , that costume really was tight. The clip-on ears in his hair made Lance’s costume look even more ridiculous.    
  
“Catboy, Lance? Seriously?” Keith was torn between amusement and disgust, but he settled for amusement when Lance turned around to show them the fake tail attached to the suit.   
  
The smug grin on Lance’s face and the spark in his eyes were too telling. “Allura loves it!” He underlined his words with a cat-like paw-gestures. It would have only been topped by a smug _ ‘Meow’,  _ which they were luckily spared of.    
  
“TMI, Lance, TMI,” Keith groaned, not wanting to waste any more thoughts on what else Allura liked Lance to wear. 

Trying to get rid of the very vivid thoughts in his head, Keith shook his head, incredulous.

“Hey Shiro, looking hot,” he remarked, eyeing Shiro fully. “Hot as in… aren’t you cold? You should button that shirt or you’ll blind the ladies with your abs.”    
  
Keith might have choked on his own breath.

“Well. The ladies and Keith.”   
  
Lance  _ was _ right, Shiro looked hot. And handsome. And definitely not at all as if they had thrown together his costume very last minute. 

As in five minutes before they raced out the door. While they had been blissfully spread out on their sofa, clearly busy getting lost in each other, they'd scattered apart as soon as they’d realized the time.

So they arrived an hour late at the room Hunk and Lance shared, with Shiro’s hair disheveled and Keith thankful that the scarf he was wearing was hiding the hickeys his shoulder blades were plastered with. 

The cheap lei around Shiro’s neck had been a left-over from some frat party, stowed away in one of their trunks. Shiro’s wardrobe might have been perfected for cozy autumn days, but they still managed to find a Hawaiian shirt buried somewhere inside., pairing it with a pair of Keith’s sunnies to complete the look. The fact that Shiro had decided to leave his shirt unbuttoned, his trained stomach on display for everyone, did not help Keith to calm down. 

“So, where’s your costume, Keith?” He hated Lance for interrupting him from shamelessly ogling his boyfriend.    
  
“I  _ am  _ wearing a costume,” Keith explained, making Lance blink at him, once, twice, apparently not recognizing his clothes as the costume they were supposed to be. “Seriously Lance? I expected more from you!” Lance might have been the expert when it came to theatrical performances, but Keith was quite proud of his dramatic eye roll.

“Keith, for the twentieth time, I don’t know any of the weird series Shiro and you are watching while you’re doing god knows what. I don’t know if it’s any character costume”  
  
Keith could only sigh in amused exasperation “I’m an autumn hipster!!”  
  
He could actually see Lance’s brain stop for a second, trying to process the information. Then his face started to light up, a huge grin on his lips, remembering their deal and clearly hoping for a huge Christmas gift.   
  
“So do you love fall now?” Lance crowed, waggling his eyebrows.  
  
Keith took great pleasure in wiping Lance’s smug grin off his face by replying, “No, it’s only a costume which is somehow supposed to be spooky. I still hate fall.”

Keith side-eyed Shiro and they shared a grin. They were painfully aware that Keith’s hatred toward fall had been long subdued, buried underneath leaf jumping outings and pumpkin spice latte dates. Still, the chance at vexing Lance was too inviting to let it slip.   
  
“Shiro! I’m disappointed. All those dates and Keith  _ still  _ doesn’t love fall.” Lance squinted at Shiro who simply shrugged.

“Although,” Keith started again, catching Lance’s attention. “Fall makes Shiro happy, so it's okay I guess."

Lance cooed and laughed at them, before letting them off the hook and taking off to find Allura.

Shiro’s arm circled around his hips, drawing him close and pressing his lips against Keith’s hairline.  
  
“You’re a tease,” he whispered against his temple, making Keith melt a little.  
  
"What? I couldn't just let Lance  _ win _ ," he answered, trying not to let his voice betray how flustered he was at Shiro being so casually intimate.

So he tried distracting Shiro by suggesting they search for drinks. Getting drinks had sounded like a good idea up until the point they realized Hunk was in charge of handing out cups. Fittingly dressed as a chef, Hunk was sizing the pair of them up with his face smug and all-knowing.

“Sooooo, couple costumes?” Hunk asked, completely confusing Keith.   
  
Luckily, Shiro seemed equally confused, asking the question Keith was too dumbfounded to ask “Huh?”   
  
“I mean look at you, Shiro, looking like a tropical tourist – so sweet to dress up like you’re in Keith’s favourite season when he’s dressing up like he’s in yours!”   
  
Oh damn. They definitely hadn’t considered this fact when they had to do some rushed improvising – in their defense, they’d been  _ busy  _ . 

“Yeah, we thought it would be cute,” Shiro answered for both of them.

“You’re so married,” Pidge explained monotonously against the rim of her cup. She was sitting on the windowsill next to where Hunk was handing out drinks, all dressed in black with a huge witch hat on her head.   
  
Keith wasn’t sure if the warmth on his cheeks came from the alcohol in his cups or from her words. Probably both. The rumble of Shiro’s laughter against his side made Keith decide it wasn’t important.

Shiro being here with him was enough.

  
***   
  


The last day of October was a fitting climax to the season. 

As luck would have it, as soon as their group decided it was time to go out to snatch some candy, it started pouring down like crazy. Keith was pretty sure some higher being was doing their best to make him not like fall. They’d done well up until this season, at least.

When Keith glared up at the rain while they were standing at the doorstep to leave, Shiro tried his best to read his boyfriend’s expression.   
  
“Hey guys,” he called after the rest of the group who were already walking ahead, Hunk and Pidge each squeezed underneath their single umbrellas, while Lance and Allura shared one, Lance’s arm wrapped around his girlfriend. Shiro explained, while his hand was rubbing soothing circles on Keith’s back, “We’ll head back to our room, stressful week and such. Have fun, make sure to get some stuff for us,”  
  
There might have been some eye-rolling involved and Pidge shouting, “Get a broom,” while waving her toy broom at them, but their friends said their goodbyes before disappearing in the dark of the night.

“Let’s get back, this weather calls for a night staying in. How about some tea?” Shiro let his arms sneak around Keith, wrapping him in a gentle embrace.

It put a smile on Keith’s lips. “Too bad we have no candy to eat,” he explained, feeling bad about keeping Shiro from his trick-or-treating experience with his aversion against bad weather.  
  
“What are you talking about? I do have something sweet to devour!” Shiro said, voice cheesy. “And I’m not talking about my chocolate.”

Keith burst out laughing, Shiro joining him and holding him tighter. The laugh they shared was lost in the pattering of rain around them and their kiss.

Yes, Keith caught himself thinking, even the bad weather was not as bad as he first thought.   
  
Nothing was when he was with Shiro.    
  
****


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“So what do you think? Still hate fall?” Shiro whispered the words between two kisses against his neck, nosing his hairline. It sent a shiver down Keith’s spine, the good kind of shiver he wanted so desperately to never tire of. _
> 
> _Answering Shiro was hard when his lips were so soft against his skin. A moan escaped Keith’s mouth before he could answer._
> 
> _“Maybe I like it a bit better?” Keith explained. He could feel Shiro’s laugh gently vibrating against his shoulder blades in response. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sheith in Autumn](https://twitter.com/FallForSheith) Prompt Day 7: **Free Day **
> 
> Insert my yelling about my undying love for Beta-[Christie](https://twitter.com/appetixing) here, because we're both clowns. I cannot thank you enough for your amazing help with this baby!
> 
> And thank you all for reading and sticking with me through this fic – or devouring it in one go once it's finished.  
I love autumn so much and this piece has become SO dear to me while writing! ♡♡♡
> 
> ***

On the first of November, Keith woke up.

He wasn’t in his own bed. 

  
There was an arm around his waist and a familiar weight against his back.

He could feel the soft press of Shiro’s nose against his shoulder, Shiro’s warm breath against his skin and it sent shivers down his spine. Being with Shiro, holding hands, sharing a bed, kissing … 

Everything was still so new and so overwhelming. It had only been a month ago that he'd been trying to hide his crush, suppressing any hope that Shiro would see him as anything other than a friend. This October had been so good to him. He never wanted to wake up without Shiro buried in his neck again. 

The first rays of sunshine glistening through the curtains made their way over to Shiro’s bed, bathing their bodies in subtle morning hues, painting shades of blue and yellow on the blankets. If Keith had to guess, he would have said it was still early morning, but he didn’t care, not when Shiro’s arm around his waist tightened, drawing his naked back against Shiro’s equally naked chest. 

Keith’s mind was still dazed, blissfully drowsy and warm with sleep.

Outside the bed, the room was cold, uninviting. So he buried himself deeper into the warmth of their blankets, not needing another excuse to shuffle closer to Shiro. The space where their legs were entangled under their covers was radiating heat, made the idea of never leaving bed again even more enticing. 

He could definitely get used to this.    
  


“So what do you think? Still hate fall?” Shiro whispered the words between two kisses against his neck, nosing his hairline. It sent a shiver down Keith’s spine, the good kind of shiver he wanted so desperately to never tire of.   
  
Answering Shiro was hard when his lips were so soft against his skin. A moan escaped Keith’s mouth before he could answer.

“Maybe I like it a bit better?” Keith explained. He could feel Shiro’s laugh gently vibrating against his shoulder blades in response. 

“You really want to give Lance the satisfaction of winning?” Shiro had a fair point, he was sure Lance would give him hell for winning their bet. 

“Can’t be helped. Guess I’ll start saving for his Christmas present.” The way Shiro laughed, clear and loud, was music to his ears. 

“In my defense, it was two against one. And you clearly have some unfair advantages.”

In addition, Keith clearly enjoyed the outcome of the bet. Buying Lance a big gift for Christmas was definitely worth being able to wake up in his now boyfriend’s arms like this. 

  
Boyfriend. The word rolling from Keith’s lips managed to make him giddy every time.  
  


“You might need to do a bit more persuasion, though.”

The smug grin remained on Keith’s face, even when Shiro shifted slightly so he ended up hovering above him. With a turn of his head, Keith looked directly into his dark eyes, while his head was bracketed by both of Shiro’s arms.   


“Persuasion, huh?” Shiro breathed against his ears, his lips curling upwards. His eyes glistened with intent.   
  
With a shift of his hip, Keith turned so he was facing Shiro directly, making him gasp. As Shiro bent down to capture Keith’s lips in a gentle kiss, Keith was sure they wouldn’t make it out of bed for another hour.

Not that he minded.   
  


October had been an interesting month, Keith thought as he got lost in Shiro’s touches.  
  
A month ago, Keith would never have dreamed of ever waking up next to Shiro. But apple picking dates, soft sweaters, starlit nights and long autumn walks had taught him differently. And even though the weather had been nasty most of the time and pumpkin spice lattes hadn’t become his new favourite drink, he could still see what Shiro saw in fall. 

It was beautiful.

And Keith had to admit, he would always remember this October as the October he managed to fall in love. 

With Shiro.    
  


And with fall.   
  
  
  
****  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * Constructive criticism
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 
> I'll try my best to reply to comments and would love to hear what you think!
> 
> I'm a rambling mess on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/dropsofautumn) so follow me if you like ♡


End file.
